topic Does a station based on an ever-changing playlist change as the playlist changes? in Content Questions

Does a station based on an ever-changing playlist change as the playlist changes?

giantslor — Sun, 06 Mar 2016 05:36:29 GMT

So, let's say I start a radio station based on Discover Weekly, or Liked From Radio, or a continually changing curated playlist. Will this new station forever play music based on the playlist at the time the station was created? Or will the station change its mix of music as the playlist it was based on changes?

Re: Does a station based on an ever-changing playlist change as the playlist changes?

MattSuda — Sun, 06 Mar 2016 06:57:32 GMT

I'm pretty sure the station will only be based on the playlist it was created from. I don't think the station will change with the playlist. You can always create another station though.

Re: Does a station based on an ever-changing playlist change as the playlist changes?

giantslor — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 08:14:12 GMT

No one's contradicted you, so I'll accept that answer even though you don't seem to be 100% sure. Thanks.

Re: Does a station based on an ever-changing playlist change as the playlist changes?

MattSuda — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 12:15:01 GMT

You're welcome! I've never tried it out, but I'm pretty sure of my answer. Stations are created based on what is currently in the playlist.

It couldn't hurt to try it out and see.

Re: Does a station based on an ever-changing playlist change as the playlist changes?

Pythagoras — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 23:42:22 GMT

I tried it. It doensn't work, and I wish it did.

Here's what I did:

I made a playlist with one Rolling Stones song (Sweet Virigina). Radio generated Stones, Allman Brothers, etc.

Changed that song to a different RS song (Some Girls). Radio generated the exact same playlist as before.

Changed the song to a Weather Report song (Birdland). Radio generated the exact same playlist as before!

Added several more Weather Report albums. Radio generated the exact same playlist as before!

Really not how this should work.

Re: Does a station based on an ever-changing playlist change as the playlist changes?

giantslor — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 17:20:31 GMT

Great idea to do this experiment! Thank you for the definitive answer, and I agree completely that this is not how it should work.

Re: Does a station based on an ever-changing playlist change as the playlist changes?

Pythagoras — Sat, 22 Jul 2017 03:25:27 GMT

Thanks to whoever marked my comment as a solution, but it's really not a solution. It does answer the question in the OP: No, radio staions don't change when a playlist changes. But they should. That would be a solution.

Re: Does a station based on an ever-changing playlist change as the playlist changes?

giantslor — Sat, 22 Jul 2017 15:01:13 GMT

So, I tried this out for myself on the Android app, and I couldn't reproduce this behavior (in Pythagoras' post) at all. I made a playlist with one song ("Smells Like Teen Spirit") and then created a radio station, followed it, and looked at the songs. Then I changed the song in my playlist (to "Born Slippy (Nuxx)") and again looked at the radio station I had created and followed. Completely different type of songs -- fittingly, lots of techno music instead of 90s alternative rock. So the answer to my original question appears to be "yes." I don't know how you got different results -- maybe the behavior is different for Android vs another platform?

Re: Does a station based on an ever-changing playlist change as the playlist changes?

Pythagoras — Sat, 22 Jul 2017 15:01:25 GMT

Interesting. What I described took place on the desktop app, Mac OS X.

I'll see what happens on iOS.